Indoor Robotics raises $15m for world’s first indoor drone

Indoor Robotics, an indoor drone technology start-up that recently launched Tando drone, announced the closing of a $15 million in series A funding. This round enables the company to boost product development and enable intelligent indoor security worldwide.

The funding round was led by Pitango and included Target Global, European Innovation Council Fund, and Spider Capital.

Developing an autonomous indoor security robot has challenged robotics designers for years. While some ground-based robots are commercially available, ordinary items like a chair or a step can prevent them from fully securing an area.

Indoor Robotics’ Tando uses multiple sensors and proprietary algorithms to accurately map and navigate in any indoor space, allowing it to autonomously navigate above or around any items in its path, enabling it to secure and monitor large areas.

“We reimagined what a drone was capable of and combined human-like capabilities with AI tools to enable next-generation security and monitoring,” said Doron Ben David, co-founder and chief executive of Indoor Robotics.

“Tando has already been deployed by the world’s leading enterprises and security monitoring companies and is making a tangible impact on safety and security.”

The drone docks on the ceiling and functions as a security camera when not in flight. In addition to office buildings, it is currently being used to secure and monitor warehouses, data centres, malls, and retail establishments by well-known enterprises.

New go-to-market strategy for Tando

These funds will enable Indoor Robotics to move into full production and develop its go-to-market strategy.

“We seized the opportunity to increase our investment in Indoor Robotics following the successful launch of Tando and the team’s demonstrated ability to surpass critical milestones,” said Rami Kalish, managing partner at Pitango. “Indoor Robotics’ proven capabilities have generated exciting demand from the market, which the investors are excited to facilitate.”

In addition to security functions, Tando drives significant safety and operational improvements. It is capable of collecting thermal imaging data and environmental data, as well as recording temperatures of rooms and identifying leaks. It also enables preventive maintenance, identifying areas in buildings that require care.

Doron Ben David and Amit Moran founded Indoor Robotics in 2018. Ben David had left his role as CTO of Israel Aerospace Industries’ Space Division when he began to collaborate with Moran, former Head of Robotics Innovation at Intel.

They set their attention to drones, looking for areas where they could outperform human beings. They recognised that drones were ideal for security, an industry that suffers from 300% employee turnover, is vulnerable to fatigue and human error, and pays minimum wage to guards tasked with protecting valuable assets.

The drone is said to be in line with the company’s mission to boost the quality of life by enabling a seamless, comfortable indoor experience through task-oriented robots.

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